The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-12-31
CoxcERN1xG sHAksPERE.

CONCERNING SHAkSPERE. t
Lawrence Barrett in North American
Review Cor December. Rf i
In the year 1864, in the town Of
STRAIT Avon, was bprn child
whose name was William Shakspere.
FIis place OF birth, paren,age, and
many incidents of the domestic life OF
his family are we'll attested. Many in
c!deuts of his early boyhood, favorable |
and otherwise, are also welt proven.
His early marriage with Il lady older
than himself, his departure for Lou-
don. and his arri, there are not to be
Rainsall. We x Nv positively that
he became 40 actor in London /; n COM
pauion and partner 10 theatrical enterr
prises with other men, and whose la
bors nre not denied by contemporaries
az of value increasing year by year.
Contem porary writers extol his genius
as play writer while living; and iu
the maturity of his years and powers
he retires to his native town became
the largest landed proprietor in the
place: dies there in the full possession
Of his faculties In 1916; is buried i9
the picturesque church Of his native
town under its very eltar-the most
honorable and conspicuous place in that
temple and over his gave his widow
surviving him causes to be placed a
COPY Of his features and some touching
illusions to his worth. In 1923 two Of
his surviving partners, tello"-actors
and managers, venerating his genius,
and wishing that his labor should not
o(S ion
In the theater librsry, from quarters
stolen or badly print ted, his works,
edited them In their poor way, and
commended these ",rifles" to posteri-
ty, in the .lmid hope that the applause
OF contemporary audiences might find
an echo in the enduring admiration of
other ages. A contemporary poet,
who was also a fel!ow-actor, "rare old
Ben" Jonsor. in lines immortal, be-
queathed the portrait OF his rival to
posterity.
These are the things that we know,
and can lay our hands upon as proofs.
Other continuing facts occur in testi-
mony, as well In the sonnets as in the
words Of rivals and contemporaries.
To sum up all, we may declare that
we know Of . man, William Shaks-
pere by name, born as above, moving
to London as above, and writing and
working there dying as above, and
being 20 spoken Of and written about ;
and whose surviving works were col
lected, edited, and published by his fol
low-actors, and given in type to the
public which had known and applau
ded their author. What follows: Fol
two centuries these works have beer
| the study Of the wise, the resource anc
delight OF the scholar, and the growing
solace of the people. Whole librarie!
have been written to clear up doubtful
meanings in the text. Annotators ant
Recommendations have reached enduring
fame in companionship with thi
ssnature's child" and criticism ba
halted with reverence at the doc
which bears that immortal name. Al
nations have striven to make the play
OF Shakspere the textbook OF the'
scholars, ard all the boundaries Q
nationality have been obiiterated I
naturalize this universal genius. Iii
characters have passed into realities
a. lifsliks and true as If they had in
deed lived, breathed, and had thei
being, He has created symbols an
characterized traits. He has so dea
with the great passions OF human ns
ture that his mon and women are en-
bleme. A whole gallery of his po
traits would be the fac-similes Of oU
world, and a catalogue of his passion
! would begin and end with all that tt
heart has ever felt. With small Lati
and less Greek ho has created n voc,
bulary by whose side only one vo!um
' may be placed-the Bible. Contine
within tho watcry band which elasI
lsreen England, bis fsr-reachiug visic
overlooked her boundaries and saw b
fellow-man as he lived in all land
Ignorant of mere geographical outline
his knowledge aud measurement of II
human heart and its wfde renge
= emotions was perfect and true. L
taught, perhaps, in that technic
learning which makes more pedan
than scholars, his marvellous visi'
penetrated deep into life's myster
and his feeling heart did the re-
Clear minded and sane himself, he sa
," into the halfdisturbed soul Of I
- Royal Dane; into the :'ovcrturn
vase Of the mind OF the fair Opheiia
and scaled the heights where uncrow
ed Lear forsook his reason and for
wore his kind. History in his han
becomes personi6ed narrative, and I
kings and queens, the noble and cha
the peasant and the dame of his o'
q land passed by his clear sight a
81 ~, lo g. Il 50